I was 8 years old when my big brother
took me to see the fantasy flick which
was set in the distant future - 1985! :)Queen of Outer Space was one of those
movies that was so bad... it was great!

Queen of Outer Space hit theaters

September 7, 1958. That same week,

Rockabilly Hall of Famer Robin Luke's

biggest hit "Susie Darlin'" was climbing

the chart on its way to a top 5 finish.

"Susie Darlin' - Robin Luke

(Sept./Oct. '58, highest chart pos. #5)

This is a special date because
Zsa Zsa Gabor would have turned
100 years old today. I had this post
written a year ago, saving it for
today, hoping that Zsa Zsa would
make it to 100, but it wasn't
meant to be. She died back
in December at age 99.

Although Zsa Zsa didn't quite make it to

the century mark, I still wanted to run
this birthday salute and recall that
goofy sci-fi movie of hers.

36 comments:

What a nice tribute to the beautiful and glamorous Zsa Zsa Gabor! It is a shame that she didn’t make it to the century mark. I wasn’t as familiar with Zsa Zsa as I was with her sister Eva from watching Green Acres for years. Wasn’t Zsa Zsa on Hollywood Squares?

I don’t watch a lot of horror movies and never saw Queen of Outer Space— but it looks like a hoot. It’s funny how they envisioned space travel in the year 1985— lol. I remember the Susie Darlin’ song but didn’t know the artist. It’s a great sound of the 50’s— and interesting to know that it was becoming a hit at the same time Queen of Outer Space was in the theaters.

This was another fun trivia post. The story of a spaceship filled with men landing on Venus— a planet inhabited entirely by women— is a clever way to lead us to Valentine’s day!

Thanks for joining me for a 100th birthday shout out to Hungarian actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor. She and her sisters Magda and Eva made a splash in Hollywood and were often written about on the pages of gossip columns. Although a creditable actress according to those with whom she worked, Zsa Zsa is, in my opinion, an early example of being famous for being famous, a phenomenon that continues to this day.

Yessum, Zsa Zsa Gabor appeared on Hollywood Squares a total of 64 times and she was a familiar face on the TV talk show circuit, too, a frequent guest on Jack Paar's Tonight Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, David Frost and David Letterman. She was a guest on a dozen episodes of The Joey Bishop Show and 9 eps of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.

I had just turned age 8 when I went to see Queen of Outer Space and it made quite an impression on impressionable me. It blew my mind to think of a planet overrun by lonely, desperate women with Zsa Zsa Gabor as their queen! :) At the time, 1985 seemed like a year from the far distant future. Now it is rapidly becoming a year of the distant past. Time flies, haven't you heard? :) I'm glad you remember that Robin Luke rockabilly ditty.

Thanks so much for stopping by, good buddy! Yep, I had this post planned well in advance and hoped that Zsa Zsa would still be alive when it ran. I knew it was a long shot because the lady had serious health problems in recent years. I have another 100th b-day salute ready to publish this fall and I am holding out hope that the wonderful actress to whom I am paying tribute will still be with us when the time comes. I won't be a spoiler by revealing her name, but please stay tuned.

I agree that there is nothing spectacular about Robin Luke's vocal talent, yet he did leave us with that rockabilly classic. I will take this opportunity to mention Tommy Roe's early rockabilly style recordings as being among my favorites.

Thank you again for your visit and comment, Joey, and have a great week!

I highly recommend Queen of Outer Space, winner of 50 Academy Awards including Best Picture. One of the Venusian beauties' halter tops was also nominated for Best Supporting Role. :) The table top special FX put the new Star Wars to shame! :) It's fun to go back into the past and spring forward from their viewpoint and imagine the wonder of space exploration.

Hi Shady!She certainly lived a fantastically full life, mostly by famously being herself ;-) Serving time for slapping a cop - and not for leaving the scene (?) If she hadn't become Duchess of Saxony we might never have heard of the practice of adopting adult males so that they might gain royalty status. Still, like all who loved her glamor and grace, I always enjoyed her appearances - in fact I recently saw her on an ancient episode of Gilligan's Island! I'd like to have seen her in "Touch of Evil" (Orson Welles). Her range was phenomenal, wasn't it?Her class act may have ended, but thanks to good folks like you, my friend, her memory still reigns!

How are you, dear friend? I hope you are feeling much better than you were the last time we connected. Thank you very much for taking a peek at the post and testing your memory with a stimulating game of trivia.

Seems you know quite a lot about our special guest Zsa Zsa Gabor. I remember that incident in which she slapped a cop. It's a darn good thing she was rich and famous or else her penalty would have been worse. I forgot all about her appearance on Gilligan's Island, giving Ginger and Lovey stiff competition in the glamour department. I remember seeing Zsa Zsa several times on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and on other talk and music variety shows. A few others I didn't mention in my reply to Mrs. S would be The Merv Griffin Show, Mike Douglas, and Dinah Shore's series called Dinah! Everybody seemed to want Zsa Zsa as a guest on their show. If you get a chance to watch Queen of Outer Space it will give you plenty of laughs.

Thank you again for your sweet comment, dear friend diedre. Please take care of yourself and have a fantastic week!

I am so happy that you have showcased the wonderful Zsa Zsa! I love her name and no one else is named that which I think should change. I think I saw this film but when I was a kid. I remember loving it because it was so bad. Love the gold lame gown she is wearing in that flick. The space ships seem to be phallic which cracks me up. If they were young now, The Gabor sisters would have their own reality show and they would be much more entertaining

Thank you very much for coming down to help me salivate the 100th birthday of Zsa Zsa Gabor. I would say she is inimitable, but I remember people imitating her over the years. You're right. If the Gabor sisters were all alive and young at this point in time, they would Shirley have their own TV reality series.

I'm thrilled to know that you might have watched Queen of Outer Space when you were a kid, same as I did. It beats any Hollywood musical that I can think of. :) Yessum, the rocket ship was phallic and the women inhabitants that the male crew encountered on planet Venus were divided into two groups: the soft, voluptuous vixens who love men and were eager to make whoopee, and a group of men-haters who want to destroy the guys before they could reproduce. Spoiler alert: In the end, love (and raging hormones) conquered all.

I think every young couple should give serious consideration to naming their baby Zsa Zsa (even is he's a boy :)

Thank you again for coming over to play with me today, dear friend BB. Have a great week!

Queen of Outer Space was released in 1958 - light years before you were born. Zsa Zsa Gabor was at her peak of popularity at the time. Miss Gabor's acting leaves a lot to be desired and the acting by the rest of the cast is rather wooden as well. In addition, the special effects are primitive and the parts of the flick that are supposed to scare you make you laugh. Queen of Outer Space is so bad... it's great... loads of fun to watch. I hope you'll give it a try.

Gosh Shady, I remember that movie, but I didn't see it. I was 9, going on 10 when it came out. Guess we were into "The Blob", lol! My whole family loved Zsa Zsa, she was beautiful with a darling accent. A true icon!

AND...OMG, "Susie Darlin", I love that song! It is so, I don't know what...his voice is so dreamy! Now, THAT, I remember!

I'm in line to wish Zsa Zsa a wonderful Birthday! Like you, it would be great if she were here to enjoy your tribute accompanied by the impressive colorful posters. I just may have to check this movie out myself.

I am very happy to see you this evening, dear friend! Thank you very much for dropping in to wish the recently departed glamour icon Zsa Zsa Gabor a happy 100th birthday. I knew that Miss Gabor was in failing health for the last several years, but I was keeping my fingers crossed that she would make it to the century mark. It was not meant to be. Perhaps she's up there on Venus right now smiling about the interest this tribute post is generating. :)

If you get the chance to see Queen of Outer Space, I recommend it as a relic of the late 50s when so many horror and sci-fi movies came out and very few adhered to scientific facts. If you are willing to let your imagination be your guide you will have loads of fun watching the movie.

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the sound of Robin Luke crooning his hit rockabilly ballad "Susie Darlin' and that you remember it from way back when. One might think that Robin's record was inspired by "Wake Up Little Susie," the Everly Brothers hit released a year earlier, but Wiki sez the song was named after his 5 year old sister Susie.

I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself here tonight, dear friend Suzanne. Thanks again for joining the fun and have a fabulous week!

Happy Birthday Zsa Zsa in heaven! She didn't make that 100 mark but lived much longer than many young actors today. She was a unique character! I think I've seen parts of this crazy flick. I love old movies too but I don't think it will turn up on TCM soon. The trailer was probably enough to show how this whole movie comes together...made me laugh and reminded me of watching the old Star trek reruns..pretty simple special effects! Fun tribute to her and I'm sure she would be honored!

Thank you very much for popping in for my special salute to the one and only Zsa Zsa Gabor, celebrating 100 years since the date of her birth. It's a shame she couldn't be here in the flesh. I am absolutely sure she would have seen this post and written a comment. :) Yessum, she lived much longer than many other celebs we could name. As I told my pal Joey, I have another 100th birthday tribute scheduled for this fall and I am hoping the actress I am featuring will still be around. Stay tuned!

Yessum, Queen of Outer Space is a goofy movie but it makes you think because it calls into question the traditional roles and relationships of men and women and could perhaps be called an example of Women's Lib.

Thank you again, dear YaYa, for coming over to chat about Zsa Zsa and her wacky sci-fi adventure flick. Have a wonderful week, dear friend!

How are you my phine Philippine phriend? :) Thanks for taking a look at this week's post - a 100th birthday tribute to one of Hollywood's most glamorous ladies, Hungarian beauty Zsa Zsa Gabor. I assume that you are much too young and too far removed from American culture to remember her 1958 movie Queen of Outer Space. At the very least watching it will give a young woman like you a glimpse of the elegance of which you spoke. The gowns, costumes and hair styles are quite impressive. I hope you get a chance to see it someday.

I knew Zsa Zsa was in her 90s but I didn't realize she was 99. That slipped my mind or I didn't hear correctly at the time of her passing. She was a real beauty in her younger years and such a seductive quality but then again a lot of women from yesteryears ago seemed sexier with their speech or body language. That's something starlets are missing today. It's too bad Zsa Zsa could live to see her 100th bday, though. Happy Birthday, Zsa Zsa! What a fun tribute and a look at the past with lovely, Zsa Zsa Gabor! Have a good day, my friend!

Thank you very much for helping me wish Zsa Zsa Gabor a happy 100th birthday, even though she is no longer among the living. It was actually surprising that she held on as long as she did because she had been in very bad shape since the auto crash in 2002 that left her partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair. In the years since she suffered strokes, amputation and life threatening infections and was on life support for the last five years.

Wiki reports that Zsa Zsa's wish to return to her native land remained unfulfilled:

<< In April 2016, Gabor expressed her wish to move back to Hungary in 2017 and live out the rest of her life there. Her husband stated that he was determined to make her wish come true and he intended to arrange for "a big party in the summer" to celebrate the actress' 100th birthday, after which she would return to Budapest. >>

Thank you again for joining me, dear friend Cathy. I'm glad you enjoyed my tribute to the beautiful, seductive and glamorous Zsa Zsa Gabor. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Tom, Gee, I didn't know of Zsa Zsa's poor health. This is so sad. It's amazing she lived as long as she did, though. It's too bad she couldn't move back to Hungary as hoped while alive. I hope she's at peace now. Have a good day, my friend!

Yessum, Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hollywood "it girl" of the 1940s and especially the 1950s when she made most of her notable films. Queen of Outer Space was not a serious piece of work, just good clean fun as space cadets come face to face with a bevy of beauties on Venus.

Zsa Zsa was really something! Too bad she didn't make it to 100....but she sure came close!Naturally I haven't seen the movie. I'm wondering: what did the movie-makers see 1985 as?? Was there any things that actually came to pass?

How are you, dear friend? Thanks for joining the fun as I remember the quintessential celebrity Zsa Zsa Gabor on what would have been her 100th birthday.

As you saw, that trailer for Queen of Outer Space begins with the caption "The year: 1985. The age of space travel begins!" Since they were obviously referring to manned interplanetary space travel, then that is a goal we have not yet achieved. Second, I doubt the surface of Venus would look anything like it does in the film, and it's a safe bet the planet isn't populated by a tribe of beautiful women running around in skimpy little costumes. :) I love the writing that goes into the trailers made for old horror and sci-fi movies like this one. They really hype it up, making a kid think he is actually going to be scared by the monsters on the big screen. Go to the 1:33 mark of the trailer and you will hear the announcer utter the words "the savage horrors of fearsome, mutated beasts." That's what I'm talkin' about!

Well they were off by 25 years on the skimpy clothes. Now with the Kardashians and others, showing skin is the wardrobe. How funny! I want to see the whole movie after seeing just a teaser. Zsa Zsa was her own person! She was cheesy and knew it. What a sweet tribute. I was sad for her when she died but she came close to 100.

Thank you very much for swinging over for my tribute to Zsa Zsa, dear friend!

I'm tickled to know that this trailer has you psyched to see Queen of Outer Space, a movie in which astronauts are "over the moon" after laying eyes on the beautiful, scantily clad women of Venus (who are eager to take a rocket ride. :)

You're right. I remember Zsa Zsa as a woman with a sense of humor. She didn't take herself too seriously. She knew she had a certain role to play as a public figure and she milked her celebrity for all it was worth.

Thank you again for checking in and checking out my post, dear friend Holli. Enjoy the rest of your week!

It's a pleasure to have you back over today, dear friend. Thank you for coming to see my tribute to The Queen of Outer Space and 100th birthday salute to one of the queens of 50s glamour Zsa Zsa Gabor. Can you imagine the impression this silly movie made on 8 year old Shady?

I'm happy to know you like Robin Luke's rockabilly hit "Susie Darlin'." I hadn't heard it in quite a while and jumped at the chance to tie it in with the release of Zsa Zsa's space adventure movie.

Thank you again for being here today, dear friend Sarah, and enjoy your weekend!

I use to get the sisters mixed up and really don't remember Magda. I enjoyed Zsa Zsa on Hollywood Squares (the original of that show was SO much better than any attempted resurrection) but my favorite might have been Eva on Green Acres. I loved that show as a kid and can still sing the theme song from start to finish!

I don't remember Magda either. Apparently she was an actress and socialite like her sisters. I always thought Eva had a pleasing personality, rather humble compared to Zsa Zsa's somewhat snobbish attitude which I think was mostly for show. I watched H-wood Squares for years and remember Zsa Zsa's many guest appearances. I wasn't a regular viewer of Green Acres but watched it enough times to get the gist.

Hey, I see you've got some blues posted on your blog and I will be right over to check out your tunes. Thank you again for stopping in and contributing to the discussion of Zsa Zsa Gabor the week of her 100th birthday. See you soon, Kelly!

Thank you very much for coming to see my tribute to Zsa Zsa Gabor, an actress who made quite an impression on me as a boy in her goofy sci-fi movie The Queen of Outer Space. You offered an apt description of Miss Gabor. She was strong to the bitter end. I wish she could have lived to celebrate her 100th birthday and return to Hungary afterward as she was hoping to do.

The Rodentia Intelligentsia

Follow this blog with bloglovin

Follow by Email

"You had to be there!"

“Words and photographs could never do those dancers justice because you had to be there - in a club with great music, like minded people and loads of atmosphere.” David Meikle of Glasgow, Scotland wrote those words in an article remembering the Twisted Wheel, the legendary northern soul club in Manchester, England. Yet, Mr. Meikle could just as easily have been describing the scene at my favorite "in" spot of the 1960s, the Shady Dell in York (Pennsylvania, not England).

THE SHADY DELL

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

The Shady Dell: Part of York County's Colorful History

What began as a home based restaurant and bakery in 1945 evolved over the next two decades into the hottest teen nightspot in York county complete with indoor and outdoor dance floors. It went beyond that. Shady Dell owner John Ettline and his wife Helen put out the welcome mat offering hospitality, comfort, support, and encouragement to generations of young people. During its impressive 45-year life span the Dell became a home away from home for countless area youth from a variety of backgrounds.

At the height of its popularity in the early and mid 60s the Dell, located on the southern outskirts of the White Rose city, was as widely known as North York’s White Oak Park ("the Oaks"), Harrisburg's Raven club or any other youth-oriented venue in central Pennsylvania. The Dell attracted crowds from all over the region. It brought together under one roof kids from middle class families and kids from working class families - city kids, suburban kids, small town kids and farm kids.

The diverse cast of characters that constituted the Shady Dell family was a potentially volatile mix. Each of us had to find a way to fit in and get along (or risk being voted off the island). In the end, in spite of our differences, most of us learned to dance together without stepping on each other’s toes.

Shady Dell regulars were nicknamed Dell rats and we had at least two things in common: a love of the music that played on the Dell’s jukebox and a genuine respect for John and Helen Ettline who graciously made their home our home.

GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

The Dell was a unique, magical coming of age experience - a proving ground - a secluded hideaway where adolescents could develop social skills, learn to handle responsibility and test the waters of adulthood free from the hassles of ubiquitous adult micromanagement.

SHOCKING TRUE CONFESSION: I WAS A TEENAGE DELL RAT! by Shady Del Knight

I became a Dell rat in 1965 at the age of fifteen. Disparaging rumors about the place had been circulating for years. If you were to believe the gossip the Dell was a snake pit where bad boys and bad girls went to do bad things. Some people, including my mother, referred to the Dell as a “den of iniquity.” Intrigued by the horror stories, I was determined to get there and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

In preparation for my grand entrance, I subjected myself to weeks of rigorous training at a Shady Dell boot camp of my own devise. I grew my hair longer and took up the smoking habit. I practiced in front of a mirror until I was convinced that my stance, walk, and dancing style were all cool.

To complete my extreme makeover, I went shopping for my 'uniform' which consisted of a tapered shirt from the Hub, slacks by H.I.S. and two wardrobe essentials: a pair of blue Jack Purcell sneakers and the all-important Baracuta jacket "Made in England." Wearing my 'Cuta' made me feel so terribly, terribly British, you know. Spot on for us bird watchin' blokes, right gov'na?

'JACKS'

AN ABSOLUTE MUST...FOR DANCIN' ON DELL DUST!

THE CLASSIC NATURAL COLOUR BARACUTA

STRICTLY CONTINENTAL, MATE!

Moment of Truth: Boy Meets Dell

Too young to drive, I made my first Dell visit happen by bumming a ride one night with my college-age cousin and two of his buddies. Clearly, none of the above was thrilled to be babysitting.

As we drove past York Hospital on South George and headed toward Violet Hill, what began as giddy anticipation was turning to apprehension. Fear of the unknown started creeping into my brain. What if the rumors turned out to be true? Would I soon be sharing a needle with a gang of rowdy bikers?

At Violet Hill, we made a dogleg turn to the right and began to climb the narrow, winding, bumpy Starcross Road. By this time my breathing had become labored and I felt queasy. It was as if, on a foolish dare, I had agreed to spend the night with Vincent Price in his House on Haunted Hill. Was it too late to leap from the car and bolt?

"I See the Lights... I See the Party Lights..."

We rounded a bend and I caught my first glimpse of her a short distance up the road. Perched on the hillside was a three-story brick house. Down to the left stood a barn. The festive glow of colored lights rose skyward from an area behind the house. As I would soon learn, the atmospheric illumination originated from strings of lanterns hanging above a patio rigged with remote speakers for outdoor dancing.

As we banked to make our final approach I detected the percussive beat of uptempo music emanating from the barn. We turned left into a gravel parking lot overflowing with vehicles. Here, in all of her rustic splendor, stood the infamous Shady Dell, my destination for the evening and my obsession for years to come!

I Found My Thrill on Violet Hill

My heart was thumping as we climbed the steps that led to the entrance and approached the admission booth. Following my cousin’s lead, I slid a quarter through the window and looked up to see a balding, bespectacled old man grinning back at me. Old? John Ettline would have been 59 at the time. I'm older than that now. Yikes!

“Good evening, gentlemen!” John delivered his cheerful salutation in a booming baritone. Immediately, my anxiety vanished. John’s warm welcome made me feel right at home. It made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t get it at the time but later came to realize that John’s presupposition that we were "gentlemen" was a clever and tactful way of admonishing us to behave accordingly.

Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

From the moment I entered the compound I was hooked. The Shady Dell was a private playground for teenagers - a candy land - a fun factory - a safe haven where kids could congregate and blow off steam without having to worry about parents and teachers giving them the evil eye. Instantly I became intoxicated - not by alcohol - but by a sense of total freedom. The place gave off a vibe that was completely new to me – an exhilarating blend of romance, adventure and danger!

Instead of placing a ton of restrictions on their young patrons, John and Helen granted them the independence they craved. The Ettlines were willing to take a step back and trust our judgment. It was okay for us to party as long as things didn’t get out of hand. Most of us eagerly embraced that arrangement. If and when we screwed up, the Ettlines gave us another chance. John and Helen cut you plenty of slack, but if you disrespected them or trashed their establishment both were capable of unleashing a fiery temper.

Of Rats and Men

Contrary to popular belief, the Dell did not harbor gangs of juvenile delinquents eager to conceal their wicked deeds from law enforcement. Sorry, Mom - there weren’t any guns, switchblades or brass knuckles - no gangs, career criminals or prostitutes - just a bunch of ordinary teenagers who loved to meet, mix and mingle, dance and have fun.

Fights were few and far between. There was tacit agreement that it was our duty to preserve and protect the unique setting that the Ettlines had created for us. It required us to police ourselves to prevent incidents that would generate negative publicity or hassles with the law. Scuffles were settled quickly, often through John’s bold intervention. The first lesson a guy learned at the Dell was as follows. Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Nobody messes with John. He’s the boss!

A Special Welcome to All Incoming Freshmen!

I was punched in the face three times during my first year of matriculation on the campus of the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks. Apparently a few of the guys were determined to teach me a lesson. Yet, getting socked in the kisser did not dampen my enthusiasm or scare me away from the place. In fact they had the opposite effect. They whet my appetite for more! As a Dell newbie desperate to break free of mom’s apron strings and earn respect and acceptance, I wasn’t about to let a bloody nose deter me. For the first time in my life I felt like a man instead of a boy and I loved it. Like Secret Agent Man I was living a life of danger. I was addicted to the rush!

Determined to create an image that would allow me to blend in, appeal to the ladies and avoid becoming a frequent target of the tribe's dominant males, I did a lot of posing, posturing and pretending. I decided that it would be advantageous for me to look tough even though I wasn't. Whenever I strolled into the dance hall, I made sure that my hair was messed up, my shirt tail was hanging out, a lit cigarette was dangling from my lips and my game face was on.

One afternoon before anybody else arrived, my best friend and I rolled around on the dance floor of the barn so that we could properly break-in our new Baracuta jackets by getting them coated with Dell dust. This drove my mother crazy. She kept asking me how I got my jacket so badly soiled. She was even more perplexed when I forbade her to get it cleaned. How could I explain to her that I didn’t want to risk weakening my status with the other guys by wearing a clean jacket?

In my mom’s day the ideal guy wore a white sport coat and a pink carnation. His hair was neatly cropped, oiled down and slicked back off his forehead. That look would have spelled social suicide at the Dell in the mid 60s. My goal was to look like I had just been in a fight at reform school, and if I got my uniform dirty or bloodied in combat, it was a GOOD thing.

Helen & John Ettline

Shady Dell Owners

Helen and John: Not Your Typical Mom and Pop

Even by mid 60s standards, John Ettline seemed part of a vanishing breed of men. John never called me by my first name. He always chose to address me as “Mr. Knight." John maintained that friendly formality through all the years I knew him. I’m very glad he did. John always made me feel important when he added the title “Mr.” to my name. Making insecure teenagers feel good about themselves was John’s greatest gift. He always treated young people with dignity and respect and that made them want to return it.

Along with his outstanding people skills, John possessed a photographic memory. He could always match a face with a name. He seemed to know a lot about anything or anybody that you happened to be discussing. John Ettline had a million stories to tell - all of them interesting.

Although old enough to be our grandparents, there was no generation gap between the Ettlines and their teenage guests. They seemed to remember better than other grown-ups what it was like to be young. John and Helen stayed in touch and in tune with the youth culture. Never was that more in evidence than one day at the York Fair in September, 1968. I was sitting in the grandstand awaiting the start of the James Brown concert. I turned around to search the crowd for familiar faces and there, a few rows behind me, sat Helen and John. In a year when racial tension was running high in York and elsewhere, it was remarkable to see a white couple in their 60s at a James Brown concert, chanting along with the rest of us, “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

John and Helen were cool. Young people felt at ease talking with them. Unlike many adults, John and Helen listened to us. They cared without preaching or judging. The Ettlines treated their teen visitors like extended family. They believed in the potential of every young person, including troubled youth from broken homes. They spoke to us about the value of an education and honest hard work. They sponsored athletic programs and honored America’s armed forces. They shaped young lives by instilling a sense of pride and self esteem. John and Helen went out of their way to make all of their kids feel like somebody - even those whose families were telling them they were nobody.

The Dell Jukebox: ALL KILLER AND NO FILLER!

Upon arriving on the Dell scene I soon realized that the jukebox in the dance hall was loaded with the greatest, most danceable records to be found anywhere. There were quite a few songs that I had never heard before and would never hear anywhere else. The music mix that played nightly at the Dell was consistently better than what I was hearing on the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's musical menu was an exciting blend of Motown, Chi-town, New York and Philly soul, Memphis, southern R&B, blue-eyed soul, Brit beat, sunshine pop, garage, psych and folk-rock plus a few do-wop favorites held over from the 50s.

Shady Dell regulars, the gang I now refer to as the Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided themselves on having radar for cool. Year in and year out they discovered and popularized songs that radio stations across the country overlooked. Records that lingered near the bottom of the national chart often became cherished classics at the Dell. Forgotten flips were elevated to mega-hit status by Dell rats unfettered by the limitations of radio play lists.

Certain songs resonated with the Dell crowd to such an extent that they stayed on the jukebox for years. The best example of this phenomenon is the record ranked #1 on my survey of the 200 Greatest Hits Of The Shady Dell. It remained one of the most popular jukebox selections a dozen years after its initial release in the 50s. That very special song, the greatest and longest lasting Shady Dell hit of all time, was "Close Your Eyes" by the Five Keys.

THE FIVE KEYS

"Close Your Eyes" Ranked #1

Del-Chords & Magnificent Men

Another mighty evergreen at the Shady Dell was "Everybody’s Gotta Lose Someday," an intense, power-packed r&b/soul ballad by the Del-Chords, a racially mixed group from York. Released in 1964, the record was still being played heavily two years later, jamming the floor with slow dancers several times a night. Dave Bupp and Buddy King, lead vocalists from the Del-Chords, eventually merged with band members of Harrisburg’s Endells to form a blue-eyed soul group called the Magnificent Men. The “Mag Men,” as we called them, were white guys who had a passion for black music and the vocal talent and musicianship to authentically perform it. Their inspiring ballad "Peace of Mind" was the first in an impressive string of Dell hits for our hometown heroes.

Magnificent Men

HEAVY HITTERS AT THE DELL!

The Emperors of Harrisburg

Records by the Emperors, another home-grown act, were also enormously popular with Dell dancers. A black group from the state capital, the Emperors were exponents of the “Harrisburg sound,” a blend of r&b, soul, garage and Latin influences. "Karate," the Emperors’ best known recording, was the first of eight raw, funky, organ-driven numbers to achieve hit status at the Dell in 1966 and 1967.

THE EMPERORS

DELL ROYALTY - THEY RULED!

End of an Era

Once addicted to the Dell, I pretty much lived there until the fall of 1967 when I left York to attend an institution of higher learning. Over the next four years I visited my Dell family whenever possible during holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations. My stint as a Dell rat officially ended in 1971 when I found a job in another city and moved away from York for good.

My final visit to the Dell came in March of 1984 when my career took me out of state. My last piece of business before leaving was to drop in at the Dell and say a final goodbye. I entered the house to find John sitting on a stool at the lunch counter reading the newspaper. “Well, hello stranger!” John bellowed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. “Long time no see, Mr. Knight!" After shaking hands with John and exchanging a few pleasantries, I inquired about Helen. I was stunned to learn that she had passed away a few weeks earlier. I never got the news! John and I stood alone in Helen’s snack bar, reminiscing about the good old days and lamenting how much things had changed since the Dell’s golden era.

After a brief chat with John I excused myself and walked down the sidewalk to check out the barn. The old dance hall was dimly lit and nearly vacant. The only customers were two boys with shoulder length hair standing by the jukebox with a couple of girls. No music was playing. The place was dead or, more accurately, in the final lonely stages of life. If it had been twenty years earlier, the joint would have been jumpin’. The four young people eyed me suspiciously. Is this guy a narc? I put myself in their combat boots and realized that the sight of a stranger in his mid thirties was probably making this new generation of Dell rats uncomfortable. I promptly exited the barn and returned to the house to bid farewell to John.

That night marked the last time I ever saw John or entered the Shady Dell. I made one final pilgrimage in 1988 when I returned to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. I drove up to the Dell one afternoon with every intention of going inside. I’m sure I would have encountered a smiling John Ettline and that he would have immediately remembered my name. Yet, I never got out of the car. I chose not to enter because I didn’t want to further contaminate my memories by seeing how much older John looked and how much more dilapidated the Dell had become. All I could do was sit there in the parking lot gazing at the barn, the house, the bench and the steps to the admission booth where the whole journey started. My mind flooded with a thousand memories of the people, the place, and the time of my life.

John Ettline closed the Dell in the fall of 1991. He died at the beginning of 1993. John’s family auctioned off the restaurant equipment, signage and other Dell paraphernalia in the spring of that year.

(Mike Argento's 1993 article in the York Daily Record was used as a reference source for portions of this cover story.)

Thank You, Thisisme!

Thank you, Sush!

Thank you, Katia!

Thank You, Alabee!

Thank You, Gingeyginge!

THANK YOU, THISISME!

Thank you, Belle!

Thank you, LyDe (The Lyrical Designer)

Thank you, Kelly-marie!

Thank You, Thisisme!

Thank You, PencilGirl!

Thank you, Katia!

Thank You, Thisisme!

Thank You, Kristina!

Thank You, PencilGirl!

Spread the word...

THE RAT PACK IS BACK!

A-ha! I knew it! There's fine print!

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER--"COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER UNDER SECTION 107 OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT 1976, ALLOWANCE IS MADE FOR "FAIR USE" FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING, SCHOLARSHIP, AND RESEARCH. FAIR USE IS A USE PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT STATUTE THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE INFRINGING. NON-PROFIT, EDUCATIONAL OR PERSONAL USE TIPS THE BALANCE IN FAVOR OF FAIR USE." ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO THE PRODUCTION COMPANIES AND MUSIC LABELS THAT DISTRIBUTED AND PRODUCED THE MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE RESPECTIVELY. MATERIAL CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED FOR HISTORICAL, ENTERTAINMENT AND CREATIVE PURPOSES. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT NOT INTENDED.

Unless otherwise noted, the author does not own or claim to own any of the images, videos or recordings posted on this site. They belong to their respective owners and are used here for the purpose of review, critical analysis, education, humor and satire - not for financial gain.